Blaise Kielar grew up playing violin and clarinet. He received a degree in music from West Chester University in 1974, where he explored widely, from counterpoint to Baroque performance practice, to composition on the Moog synthesizer. At NYU, he pursued a doctorate in music history. He learned the skills of bow rehairing and restoration at William Moennig & Son in Philadelphia, and opened a violin shop in Chapel Hill, NC in 1978.
He taught classical violin as well as Old Time and Celtic fiddle. Inspired by participating in a Paul Winter Living Music Village in 1994, he developed a course to teach free improvisation to all levels of players. He has strolled, played weddings, had a world music band, as well as a jam band with four percussionists. He has improvised for bellydancers, for meditation, for improv theater companies, and with the community drum circles he and his wife facilitate in North Carolina.
His Electric Violin Shop stocks the widest variety of gear to amplify bowed strings anywhere in the world.
He currently directs, and plays clarinet with the Bulltown Strutters, a New Orleans inspired parade band, which has quickly woven its way into the creative community of Durham, North Carolina. 
Darryl
Proud to have played from time to time with the Strutters. I’ll always remember the Second Line in New Orleans with you brother.
Barbara Platt
Greetings, I was googling my bro, Michael Platt, and came across this mention of him. I’m always glad to find out more about various years in his life. Who knew about the Wheez machine! You might know, or want to know, that he passed away in 2016, at age 62 (sudden, unexpected, probably complications from diabetes or something unknown internally). He’d been clean and sober for around 30 years, and happily married for 25, always made music and taught the next generation. I enjoyed reading your reflections on being a fidder and a violinist, which Mike was. Best wishes, Barb Platt